Electric generator for gas-engine igniters.



No. 638,933. Patented Dec. l2, I889.

B. MGINNERNEY.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR FOR GAS ENGINE IGNITER'S.

(Application filed June 10, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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Nrrnn 'rnrns AEN'r rrrc BENJAMIN MCINNERNEY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA,ASSIGNOR TO THE MCINNERNEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR FOR GAS-ENGINE I GNITERS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 638,933, dated December12, 1899.

Application filed June 1011899.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LBENJAMIN MOINNERNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Omaha, Douglas county, State of Nebraska,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Generatorsfor Gas Engine Igniters, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of gas-engines Where an electrical generator has beenused for producing a spark, and especially in that class where thegenerator consists of a permanent magnet and a keeper one of which ismovable with respect to the other, great difficulties have beenencountered from the fact that in many sparking devices the parts are sooperated that the spark is produced at improper periods, interferingwith the regular operations of the engine and resultingin much loss ofpower. Further, in all generators of this type magnetic leakage has beenso great that it has been essential to use generators of objectionablesize. In order to avoid this result, I so construct the generator as toadapt it to be used to compensate for irregularities in the sparkingdevice, while at the same time insuring a greater development ofelectric energy than heretofore, as hereinafter fully set forth, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideview of a gas-engine provided with my improved generator. Fig. 2 is anenlarged edge view of the generator, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of thepermanent magnet.

The genorator consists of two parts, the permanent magnet a. and thekeeper 1), and one of these parts is secured in a stationary positionupon the engine and the other is movable. As shown, the permanent magnetctis bolted to a part of the frame and the keeper 5 is carried upon apart of the flywheel 0.

The permanent magnet a is preferably lan1inated or consists of a seriesof laminae or plates 1 2 3, of any desired number, and in contact witheach end of this permanent magnet is a pole-piece d, each pole-piececonsisting of a series of laminae which are bent or cut to a U shape,one limb in contact with the end Serial No. 720,103. (No model.)

of the permanent magnet and the other limb 4 projecting at right anglesto the plane of the permanent magnet and having wound around it a coilof wire 6, which connects with the coil upon the other pole-piece and isin circuit with the sparking device, which is not shown, as it may be ofany suitable character;

The keeper b may be of any suitable character, but preferably consistsof a series of laminae 5, connected together between two brackets 6 6,bolted to the fly-Wheel at any suitable point.

Heretofore the keeper and the permanent magnet have been so arrangedthat the keeper first approaches the pole-pieces and then travels overthe magnet, or the pole-pieces alone are presented to the keeper. I soarrange these parts that in the operation of the engine the keeper firsttravels from the toe or connected end of the permanent magnet toward thepole end. In consequence of this. arrangement there is practically ashort-circuiting of the permanent magnet through the keeper as thelatter travels over the magnet, which tends to remove the flux from thepole-pieces. This lowers the flux in the pole-pieces to the lowestpractical extent just prior to increasing it to a maximum, so that therate of increase is very rapid, and as the generation of the currentdepends on the rapidity and magnitude of the change I am thus enabled tosecure currents of much greater energy than heretofore. As the changetakes place during the passage of the keeper across the gap between thepole-pieces and the ends of the permanent magnet, the time during whichthe change is developed can be varied by varying the extent of the gap,so as to adapt the generator to engines in which there are variations inthe timing of the sparking device.

The time during which the generation takes place may be regulated byusing pole-pieces having different intervals between the ends of thepermanent magnet and the pole projections, and the latter may consist ofL- shaped pieces instead of U-shaped sections; but the latter form ispreferable, inasmuch as the pole-piece receives the magnetic flux fromeach of the laminae of the horseshoe magnet directly Without the fluxpassing from one of said laminae to the other and then to thepole-piece, which is the case if the latter is L-shaped and only incontact With the lower section of the magnet.

While I have shown the permanent magnet as fixed and the keeper asmovable, the keeper may be fixed and the magnet may be movable, and boththe keeper and magnet may be constructed in different Ways, and themovable portion instead of being secured to a fly-wheel may be connectedwith any other moving part of or connection with a gas-engine. In somecases the keeper may be a projecting part of the fly-wheel integralthere- With.

I have found that by the construction and arrangement described I amenabled to secure a current of the desired volume by the use of agenerator of muchless size and Weight than otherwise would be essential.

I have shown the coils c as mounted on the ends of the pole pieces (1;but it is evident that the coils would operate in substantially the samemanner if otherwise placed, and I am not limited to the exactconstruction and arrangement shown.

\Vithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown, I claim- 1, The combination in a generator for the sparkingdevice of a gas-engine, of a permanent magnet with laminated wire-Woundpoles and a keeper, and means for carrying one past the other to firstreduce the magnetic flux and then increase it suddenly to a maximum,substantially as described.

2. The combination in a generator for the sparking device of agas-engine, of a permanent magnet, and a pole-piece for each end thereofprovided with a Wire-wound core arranged at right angles to the plane ofthe magnet at a distance from the end thereof but magnetically connectedtherewith, substantially as described.

3. An electric generator for the sparking device of agas-engine,consisting of apermanent magnet, and a keeper, the magnethaving a laminated terminal at each end consisting of an assemblage ofbent pieces, one limb in contact with the end of the permanent magnetand the other Wire-Wound, substantially as set forth.

4:. An electric generator for the sparking deviceofagas-engine,consisting of a permanent magnet, a Wire-Wound laminatedterminal in contact With each end of the magnet, a keeper,

and means for connecting it to a fiy-wheel, substantially as set forth.

5. An electric generator for the sparking device of a gas-engineconsisting of a permanent magnet, a wire-wound laminated terminal incontact with each end of the magnet, alaminated keeper, and means forconnecting it to a fiy-Wheel, substantially as set forth.

6. An electrical generator for the sparking device of a gas-engine,consisting of a horse-. shoe permanent magnet composed of laminae, andU-shaped laminated terminals, one limb of each terminal in contact withall thelaminae of the permanent magnet at one end thereof and the otherlimb wire-Wound, substantially as set forth.

7. A gas-engine provided with a sparking device and a fiy-wheel,astationary permanent magnet having wire-Wound pole-pieces anda movablekeeper, and means for causing the latter to traverse the magnet towardthe polepieces, substantially as set forth.

8. In agas-engine provided with a sparking device and a fly-Wheel, apermanent magnet secured to the frame of the engine and havingWire-wound poles, the Wires extending to the sparking device, and akeeper secured to the fiy-wheel, the parts arranged for the keeper totraverse the permanent magnet and act to short-circuit the same beforereaching the Wire-wound terminals, substantially as set forth.

9. In agas-engine provided with a sparking deviceandafly-wheel,astationarypermanent magnet secured to the frame of theengine and having wire-wound poles, the Wires extending to the sparkingdevice, and a movable keeper secured to the fly-wheel; the partsarranged so. that the keeper acts to short-circuit the magnet before thekeeper completes the circuit at the poles, substantially as set forth.

10. In a gas-engine having a sparkingdevice and fly-Wheel, a generatorconsisting of a permanent magnet upon the frame, and a keeper carried bythe fly-Wheel, the parts arranged to permit the keeper to travel overthe magnet toward the terminals thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN MOIN N ERNEY.

Witnesses:

W. CLARENCE DUVALL, J. J. MCCARTHY.

